The use of sanitary facilities for housing animal waste-absorbent material ("litter") is widespread and makes owning a household pet more convenient. Containers housing litter material, commonly referred to as a "litter box," traditionally have been used for collecting the animal waste deposited therein by pets, typically cats, while confined indoors. Such containers, however, are often unsightly and unsanitary because of the scattering of the litter by the animal using the box. A cat, for example, instinctively buries its waste in the litter in such a way that frequently results in litter material, some of it contaminated with waste, being scattered outside of the box onto the surrounding floor or carpet. Moreover, litter particles often cling to the paws of the animal and drop off once the animal exits the box, thereby further adding to the scattered litter material surrounding the box. This creates both an unsightly and unsanitary condition which can result in discoloration of the surrounding tiled or carpeted floor surface, thereby necessitating the expensive replacement of the discolored tile or carpet. The scattering of the litter particles also creates a continuing situation that requires periodic cleaning, a chore often loathed, by the pet owner.
Prior attempts have been made to maintain the litter material within a litter box and are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,741,223; 3,581,977; 3,885,523; 4,838,202; 4,949,673; and 5,042,430. There still remains a need, however, for an easy-maintenance apparatus for effectively containing litter particles scattered by an animal and for effectively removing from the animal's paws and collecting the litter particles that may otherwise drop from the animal while exiting the box.